1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a terminal connection structure for an electric cable.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, as an electric cable to be arranged in a place where shielding of electromagnetic waves or so is required (for example, inside an electric appliance of an automobile or the like), a coaxial electric cable has been widely used (Reference should be made to JP-A-2011-81957). The coaxial electric cable has such a structure that one or a plurality of internal conductors (core wires) are covered with a first insulating covering (an internal insulator), and an external conductor which is provided on an outer periphery of the internal insulator is covered with a second insulating covering (an external insulator). Moreover, such a structure that a shield conductor is provided on an outer periphery of the external insulator, and the shield conductor is covered with a third insulating covering (a protecting sheath) has been also known. End parts of these conductors are respectively connected to connection terminals at a side of the coaxial electric cable, and at the same time, connected to connection terminals, circuits, electric wires, and so on of a mating appliance to be connected via the connection terminals. In this manner, the coaxial electric cable is electrically continued to the mating appliance.
In case where the connection terminals at the side of the coaxial electric cable are connected to a plurality of the conductors in the coaxial electric cable, and the coaxial electric cable is connected to the connection terminals of the mating appliance to be connected via the connection terminals, there are arranged a plurality of the connection terminals in a terminal connection part of the coaxial electric cable. In this case, for example, in such a structure that two pieces of the internal conductors are drawn out in parallel and connected to the connection terminals at the side of the coaxial electric cable so as to be opposed to the connection terminals of the mating appliance to be connected, the two connection terminals are arranged in parallel in the terminal connection part of the coaxial electric cable. Therefore, the terminal connection part of the coaxial electric cable grows bulky in size, which makes a problem in attaining space saving of the connection structure for the coaxial electric cable.
Moreover, in case where an interval between the connection terminals which are arranged in parallel is not constant, there is such anxiety that deterioration of connection workability or deterioration of electrical continuity due to discordance of impedance may be incurred. In addition, in the same manner as the terminal connection part at the side of the coaxial electric cable, a terminal connection part in the mating appliance also grows bulky in size. Therefore, in order to attain the space saving of the connection structure of this type, the terminal connection part in the mating appliance too must be taken into consideration.
This invention has been made in view of the problems as described above, and an object of the invention is to provide a terminal connection structure for an electric cable in which a terminal connection part of the electric cable (a coaxial electric cable) can be made compact in size, and connection workability and electrical continuity performance can be enhanced.